Upholstery edge roll and method of making same



H. J. JACOBS May 29, 1934.

UPHDLSTERY EDGE ROLL AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Nov. 50, 1931 Patented May 29, 1934 UNITED STATES PTEN eases OFFICE UPHOLSTERY EDGE ROLL AND METHOD OF MAKIN GSAIHE This invention relates to an improved upholstery edge-forming roll or element and to a method of making the same.

The invention relates particularly to edge rolls or elements of the kind used in connection with,

upholstered or overstuffed articles of furniture to provide or form a rounded edge or margin which will remain in shape in use.

Various kinds of elements or edging strips have been provided having cores surrounded by fabric or covering of one sort or another to form marginal finished edges, the cores being usually of relatively hard or comparatively unyielding material so that While providing in the finished article an edge of finished appearance, it is nevertheless hard and uncomfortable in use. In one prior construction the roll or element has been provided with laterally extending portions or flaps formed of the core-covering material or 20 fabric but it is constructed in such a manner that the attaching portion is left with a raw or unfinished edge, which necessitated binding or overcasting the same in order to complete the roll or element and prevent the material from unravelling, working loose, or pulling out of shape in use.

One object ofmy invention is to provide an edge roll or element of the kind mentioned which is efiicient and durable and of superior character for the intended purpose, is inexpensive to manufacture and is easily and quickly attached or installed in an article of furniture.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an improved upholstery edge-forming" roll or element which comprises a relatively large compressible core enclosed within a comparatively thick covering of yielding material and which is of a construction such that, while enabling the element to be readily applied and to retain its intended form in use, is nevertheless soft and yielding and therefore more comfortable than prior elements of this kind; also to provide an element of this kind in which raw or unfinished exposed edges are avoided.

Another object is to provide an improved method by which my upholstery edge roll or element may be manufactured easily and quickly and at relatively low cost in a. single continuous operation.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of my improved edge forming element and of the method by which it is produced, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in connection with the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary cross section of a portion of a seat or analogous part on a piece of upholstered furniture, showing the use of my improved edge roll or element therein.

Fig. 2 is a section illustrating the initial step in the method ofmaking my improved upholstered edge roll or element.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing in full lines the next, step in the method of making the same, and in broken lines a succeeding step in said method.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating a practical embodiment of an apparatus by which the method may be practiced, and .illustrating the intermediate and final steps in the method of making the roll or element.

Figs. 5 and 6 are transverse vertical sections taken respectively on the lines 5-5 and 6-6 of Fig. '7.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal vertical section of the apparatus shown in Fig. 4, taken approximately on the line 77 thereof.

Fig. 8 is a cross section of the finished roll or element showing the same approximately full s1ze.

My improved upholstery edge roll or element A preferably comprises a longitudinal marginal roll or head .10 and an integral lateral attach-. ing flap or portion 11.

This element may be used. in different ways, for example, as shown in Fig. 1 in full lines, it may extend lengthwise along the edge 12 of a spring frame or seat member 13 with the part 10 thereof slightly overhanging said edge 12 and the attaching portion 11 extending inwardly over said frame. Such frames are usually enclosed in a burlap or other covering 14 stretched over the top and extending downwardly over the sides thereof with its edges secured as at 15. Upon this covering 14 a piece of finishing material 16 is usually arranged to conceal the burlap, and in the present instance, the front edge 17 of this piece of material 16 underlies the flap 11 of the roll or element and is preferably attached to an edge 18 of a piece of material of the kind with which the article of furniture is finished or upholstered. This piece of material extends from its attached edge 18 backwardly and upwardly over the rear edge 19 of the attaching flap 11, thence forwardly over. the top face of the flap and across and downwardly over the marginal bead or roll portion 10 and is preferably continued thence upon the frame of the seat. This material is preferably stitched or secured to the front edge 12 of the seat adjacent the bottom of the marginal roll 10, as indicated at 20, thereby retaining the roll or element in position.

In the arrangement just described, the roll or element forms a stuffed marginal edge or finishing member for the upper edge of a seat which is adapted to support a separate cushion, indicated at 22 in broken lines, the front portion of which rests upon the enclosed element A or finished edge thus produced. In some instances, the upholstering material which extends around the roll or element A, in the arrangement just described, is instead extended upwardly and rearwardly as shown by the broken line 23, and suitable stufiing or packing material is arranged between the same and the burlap 14 to form an attached or permanent cushion, the marginal rounded edge of which is formed and maintained in desired shape bythe enclosed roll or element A.

As shown in Fig. 8, the marginal roll or bead 10 of my improved element A is composed of a central core or filling 25 which is formed of a relatively large roll or loosely twisted rope of soft or compressible material such as cotton, cotton wicking, or other yielding or matted material of such character that it can be compressed to some extent, but will retain its shape because of its elasticity. This core 25 is enveloped within a relatively thick layer or pad 26 which may be formed or made of soft compressible and more or less elasticmaterial similar to that of which the core 25 is made or of other suitable yielding or compressible material. I find a pad 26 of loosely felted or matted hair or fibers or analogous material to be very desirable,'and in order to retain the felt in place and intact and prevent it from working loose or disintegrating in use, I provide the same with a backing 27 formed of relatively firm material such as burlap or other woven goods of similar character. As shown in Fig. 8, the backing 27 extends entirely around the outside of the finished element, including the fiap 11 thereof, thereby enclosing the felt or material of which the flap is made and providing a finished edge 28 therefor such that the matted or other material is prevented from working loose, and avoids the necessity of-providing a separate binding strip or otherwise finishing or securing the edge.

In the completed edge roll there are no raw edges sinceione edge of the pad is entirely enclosed within the matted material thereof with the other edge disposed alongthe middle of the roll and the' whole enveloped in the backing material.-

To produce the roll or element described, a strip of relatively thick felt padding or the like matted material 26 is pressed upon or provided with a strip of backing material 2'1 of the same dimensions. The backing material 27 engaging a face of the pad 26 becomes,'in effect, a part thereof by reason of the natural tendency or character of the two materials to adhere one to the other by intermeshing or intermingling of the fibres thereof. The core material 25 is then laid lengthwise upon the pad strip 26 intermediate of side edges 29 and 30 thereof and parallel therewith,

' thus dividing the pad into two flaps or portions 31 and 32 respectively. One of the flaps as, for example, the flap 31 is now folded over the core 25 as shown in Fig. 3 so as to extend upon the other flap 32 with its edge 29 approximately midway between or intermediate of the edge 30 of the flap 32 and the core 25. The first flap 31 is now enclosed or enfolded within the second flap 32 by turning the outer portion of said latter flap over upon the upper face of the flap 31, as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 3.

The foregoing steps of the method may be performed by hand upon any suitable flat surface but are preferably done upon a table or support 34 adjacent the open flaring end or mouth 35 of a trough or channel 36 arranged thereon as shown in Figs. 4 and '7. This trough or member 36 has a substantially flat bottom wall 37, the upper face of which may extend into the plane of the table 35, and a pair of spaced upwardly extending fiaring side walls or flanges 38 extending from the open mouth or end 35 of the trough to and merging into a tubular longitudinal guideway or passage 40. The interior formation and cross sectional dimensions of the guideway or passage 40 are approximately that of the finished edgeforming roll or element A, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and for this purpose, the sides or flanges 38 of the trough 36 as they merge into the guideway or part 40, gradually change to a curved formation shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the remaining portions of said guideway 40 being completed by the continuation of said curved sides of the trough into a bridge or roofing 41 having an elevated concave portion 42 and a. lower flattened portion 43, corresponding substantially to the upper portions of the marginal roll 10 and of the attaching portion 11 respectively of the edge forming roll or element A.

After the pad 26 with its burlap backing 2'7 and core 25 have been arranged and folded into the form shown in Fig. 3, an end of this assembly is guided into the trough 36 and compressed by hand to an extent enabling it to be forced or moved lengthwise into the adjacent open end45 of the guideway 40, the upper portion of which is preferably flared as indicated at 46 to permit the advance end of the assembly to be more readily inserted. (See Fig. 4'.)

Since the interior cross section of the guide 40, as stated, is of approximately the cross sectional size and shape or form of the finished article, it will be seen that in order to permit the assembly described to pass through the same, the material of the pad 26 and core 25 must necessarily be compressed to some extent since, by reason of the character of the material, the parts could not be compressed to the desired extent by hand inthe trough 36.

The compressed assembly thus formed in the guide 40, is now provided with parallel rows of stitching 48 or other securing means passing through the attaching portion formed by the overlapping flaps, one of the rows of stitching preferably passing througlxthe edge 30 of the flap 32 in proximity to the core 25 so that this line of stitching not only secures this edge in position but draws the core encircling portion of the flap 31 tightly down around the core as shown in Fig. 8, and aids in retaining the core and surrounding padding in the desired compressed condition..

The stitching may be provided by any suitable means, for example, as shown in Figs. 4 and 7, the assembled material, as it leaves or issues from the guideway 40 is fed directly to a stitching machine arranged in line with the discharge end of the guideway and indicated more or less diagrammatically by the set of needles 50, presser foot 51, and support 52, thus completing the roll or element in a single continuous operation. In the arrangement illustrated, the presser foot 51 rests upon that part of the assembly which forms the flap 11 and after being stitched, this flap portion is passed between a pair of feed rolls 53, parts of which are shown.

By thus arranging the various parts of the apparatus, the pad 26 and core 25 can be continuously preformed by hand and fed or 'passed through the guideway 40 by the operator who folds the flaps 31 and 32 over'the core 25 in the manner described and holds them in approximately the positions shown in Figs. 3 and 4; as the finished strip is being drawn or passed through the rolls 53, after receiving the rows of stitches.

I claim:

1. An upholstery edge forming element comprising a relatively large round core of soft compressible material, and a relatively thick pad composed of a strip of felt-like material folded lengthwise between its edges about said core and forming flaps, one of said flaps extending from said core across one face of the other flap, over the edge and across the opposite face thereof and enfolding said flap, and said enfolding flap having its edge stitched to said other fiap in proximity to said core.

2. An upholstery edge forming element comprising a relatively large round core of soft compressible material, and a relatively thick pad composed of a strip of felt-like material and a backing of relatively firm woven material, said pad being folded lengthwise between its edges about said core and forming flaps, one of said fiaps extending away from said core across one face of said other fiap, over the edge and across the opposite face thereof towards said core and enfolding said flap, the edge of said enfolding flap terminating adjacent said core and being stitched to the enfolded flap, and said backing being disposed about the outer side of said element and confining said felt-like material.

3. An upholstery edge formingelement including a marginal roll formed of a relatively large core of soft compressible material enclosed within a relatively thick pad of felt-like material, and an integral, lateral substantially flat, attaching portion composed of portions of said padding forming flaps, one of which extends around and completely encloses the raw edge of and enfolds the other flap and is secured thereto, thereby 1piroviding a finished edge on said attaching por- 4. An upholstery edge forming element including a marginal roll formed of a relatively large round core of soft compressible material of substantially uniform density enclosed within a relatively thick pad of yielding felt-like material of uniform thickness and having on its outer face a sheet of relatively firmer woven material, said element also having a laterally extending, substantially flat attaching portion composed of two flaps of said padding one of which extends upon both faces and around the edge of the other flap so as to completely enfold the same, whereby said woven material extends entirely arounclthe roll and its attaching portion and encloses and finishes the edge of the latter and confines the felt-like material thereof against fraying and separation.

5. A method of making an upholstery edge forming element having a longitudinal marginal roll and a substantially fiat attaching fiap, which consists in placing a relatively large core of soft compressible material lengthwise of and upon a relatively wide thick pad of felt-like material and intermediate the side edges thereof to thereby leave a portion of said pad extending at each side of said core, folding one of said portions about said core and upon said other portion so that its edge is disposed between said core and the edge of said other portion, folding said last mentioned portion upon the adjacent part of said first portion with its edge in proximity to said core, thus forming said roll and fiap of said element to approximately the final shape, forcibly compressing said rpll portion toreduce and compact it to the desired final form -by applying uniform inward pressure'to and about the entire exterior of said roll and'flap and stitching together said overlapping portions of said pad to permanently secure the parts of the flap and retain the roll in its compressed state. L

6. A method of making an upholstery edge forming element having a longitudinal marginal roll and a substantially flat attaching flap, which consists in placing a relatively large core of soft compressible material lengthwise of and upon a relatively wide thick pad of felt-like material and intermediate the side edges thereof to thereby leave a portion of said pad extending at each side of said core, folding one of said portions about said core and upon said other portion so that its edge is disposed between said core and the edge of said other portion, folding said last mentioned portion upon the adjacent part of said first portion with its edge in proximity to said core, thus forming said roll and flap of said element to approximately the final shape, forcibly compressing said roll portion to reduce and compact it to the desired final form by applying uniform inward pressure to and about the entire exterior of said roll and flap and passing longitudinal lines of stitching through said overlapping portions of said pad to permanently secure the parts of said flap, and disposing one of said lines of stitching at the connection between said roll and flap to retain the pad material in intimate and compacting engagement with said roll to maintain the roll portion of said element in its compressed state. 

